Apparatus for multiple liquid treatments of materials



J. c. E'IHRLICH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Er. m

Nov. 8, I960 APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE LIQUID TREATMENTS OF MATERIALS FiledApril 8. 1954 J. C. EHRLICH Nov. 8, 1960 APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE LIQUIDTREATMENTS OF MATERIALS Filed April 8.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Jam-Pi @wnwfixum ATTORNEY ll .ll w \LAllllllll Nov. 8, 1960 .1. c. EHRLICH 2,959,151

APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE; LIQUID TREATMENTS OF MATERIALS Filed April 8,1954 s Sheets-Sheet s lll.

United States Patent C) APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE LIQUID TREAT- MENTS OFMATERIALS Joseph Charles Ehrlich, 31 W. th SL,

' New York 11, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 8, 1954, Ser. No. 421,943

13 Claims. (Cl. 118-429) The present invention relates to apparatus forthe treatment of various materials successively with a plurality ofdifferent liquids, or with liquids having an active component ofdifferent concentrations, or with both types of liquids for effectingextraction, staining, washing or other treatment.

The invention is of particular utility for the preparation of human andanimal tissue specimens for microscopic examination and will accordinglybe further described, and by way of example, in connection with anapparatus for executing automatic or semi-automatic treatment of suchspecimens in the preparation of histological slides for microscopicexamination.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an apparatus forautomatically bringing a series of solutions of liquids or any desiredor required number one after another into contact with the specimens tobe treated, and removing the liquids or solutions from the specimensafter predetermined intervals of treatment.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide anapparatus whereby a series of liquids operating to dehydrate completelythe specimens of tissue are charged in succession to the specimens andsuccessively removed therefrom and the specimens then infiltrated orimpregnated with a substance, such as paraffin, in order to prepare thespecimens for embedding, cutting and staining for the completion ofhistologic preparations for microscopic study.

For many years, the objective of the serial and consecutive immersion ortreatment of specimens of tissue in different fluids was accomplished byindividual manual transfer of the specimens from one container of fluidto the next at stated time intervals. The hand processing method isprolonged, consumes personnel time, is dependent on the personalequation, cannot be conveniently carried out during nights, weekends orholidays because of the absence of personnel and is altogetherantiquated and inadequate for the needs of modern-day tissue diagnosis,which depends to an important degree on the shortness of the timeinterval between the removal of the tissue specimen from the patient andthe presentation of a com.-

pleted histologic slide to the pathologist for microscopic diagnosis.

I During recent years, an automatic processing machine has been employedwhich involves the use of a carriage 'or basket into which the specimensare placed, such carriage or basket being rotated step-by-step and beingautomatically actuated to dip into a solution and is then, after apredetermined time interval, lifted out of such solution and rotatedinto a position above the next container holding a solution into whichit is then dipped, and

this series of movements is repeated for every liquid-conmechanism whosesuccessive instants of stopping and starting are pre-set. Thisarrangement has proved in actual practice to be excessively complex andis subject to repeated breakdown from a variety of mechanical causesresulting in repeated instances in which the specimens remain suspendedin their basket without being immersed in a fluid. Such occurrences areextremely serious since the tissues thus suspended dry out during thehours of the night or weekend and are destroyed. In consequence, thesurgical procedure to which the patient was subjected is vitiated, thediagnosis cannot be made, and either the patient must be subjected toanother operation to obtain additional tissue, or if the entire diseasedtissue was completely removed at the first operation, a diagnosis cannever be made because of the irreplaceable loss.

It'is accordingly a further object of the invention to provide animproved apparatus for automatically charging a plurality of liquids insuccession into a receptacle which is characterized by a minimum ofmoving parts and wherein the movements are of such simple nature thatthe danger of mechanical failure is practically eliminated. It is alsoan object of the invention to provide an appa-. ratus of the typeindicated wherein the control of the feed of the various liquids iseffected primarily by means'of a rotatable valve mechanism of simpleconstruction.

Other features and advantages of my invention will become apparent fromthe more detailed description there of hereinafter.

The apparatus of the present invention is capable of accomplishing theautomatic processing of specimenswithout the hazard of destruction ofthe specimens and with a marked increase of capacity and of efliciencyof dehydration or other treatment because of the higher available ratioof fluid to specimens. According to a preferred form of the invention,there is provided a single central receptacle of suitable capacity inwhich a large number of specimens can be placed with any required orpreferred ratio of volume of fluid to volume of specimens, saidreceptacle with its contained tissues remaining stationary duringtheprocessing. My invention makes possible the complete elimination of aperforate basket container for the specimens and also of the steps ofrepeated immersion and lifting out and re-immersion in a succession ofcontainers, the result being that at no time are the specimens which hadbeen originally placed in the receptacle removed therefrom until afterthe completion of the cycle of chosen processing steps. Instead of thespecimens being carried in succession from one receptacle of fluid toanother, the fluids themselves are automatically conducted to and fromthe specimens. In my improved appa ratus the fluids are separately andsuccessively caused'to flow into a fixed receptacle, and after apredetermined period of time each is drained from the receptacle, afterwhich the next fluid enters the receptacle and is later drainedtherefrom, this being repeated for a selected num ber of steps. Theconsecutive exchanges of fluids are accomplished by a novel multiplevalvular device which taining receptacle. The various receptacles arearranged T on the circumference of a circle, and the carriage oroperates automatically from an electrically driven motor mechanism,which is in turn actuated for stopping and starting, for each of thesteps in the processing procedure, by a conventional electric clockmechanism of a type which permits the pre-setting of chosen timeintervals. The central receptacle which holds the specimens is providedwith-a suitable cover, so that in the event of some unforeseen failureof the automatic mechanism at a moment'when the receptacle is in thedrained or partly drained condition, it will be impossible for thespecimens to become dried out or destroyed, or even spoiled to anycritical degree, by virtue of the fact that in the covered receptaclethe specimens will remain immersed in "an Patented Nov. 8, 1960atmosphere of vapor of the treating fluid, such vapor sufiicing to keepthe specimens in a moist and well-preserved condition for many days,within which time the mechanical failure would be discovered by thepersonnel in charge of the apparatus. Furthermore, the liquid containersand the receptacle and other parts of my apparatus are made of metal,thus eliminating completely the hazards of breakage of glass containersof the type currently in use. Finally, in one form of my invention,there is only a single moving part, namely the automatic multiple valvewith its associated electric motor drive and the automatic stop andstart clock mechanism.

In the simplest form of myapparatus, the force for the movement of fluidis provided by gravity. The arrangement of inlets and outlets of themultiple valve is such that all containers of fluid to be charged intothe central receptacle containing the specimens are on a higher levelthan the top of said central receptacle, and all containers forreceivingdischarged fluid from the central receptacle are located on a lowerlevel than such central receptacle. It is the function of the automaticmultiple valve to choose serially each fluid for entry into the centralreceptacle from the containers on the higher level, and then todischarge them in turn into the containers on the lower level. For theresetting and re-operation of the instruments the following day or thenext occasion for use, it is necessary only for the attendant to raiseeach container from the lower level and manually pour the contentsthereof into the respective container on the .upper level. Since thecontainers on both the upper and lower levels will be made of metal,these can bedesigned of suitable rectangular form and height so thatthey will occupy a minimum of shelf space and provide as many changes asneeded up to as much as twenty four, instead of the conventional twelvechanges currently available. In the case of substances which must bemaintained at higher than room temperatures, such as the commonly usedparaffin, the container on the upper andlower level for such paraffinand also the central receptacle with its contained specimens, themultiple valve itself, and also the ducts connecting these last namedunits, could be heated automatically to the proper degree bythermostatically controlled electric heating elements.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is diagrammatically illustratedon the attached drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my complete apparatus, mounted on atable;

. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view in plan taken along the line 2-2of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a viewof the apparatus in elevation, partly in section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken through the distributing valve alongthe line 4-4- ofFig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged view of the distributing valve structure inelevation, partly in section, and is taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 5A is a horizontal section along the line 5A5A of Fig. 5; while..Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the distributing valve and itsassociated parts, the same being in vertical section.

In the form of the invention illustrated, which is intended for use inthe treatment of human and animal tissues to prepare the same formicrscopic study, there is arranged a central receptacle 1% which may beprovided with a foraminated support 11 for one or more specimensoft-issue and having a cover through which passes an agitator. forinsuring thorough impregnation of the tissue material with thesuccessive treating liquids, the agitator being operated by a motorwhich may be mounted on the cover. As this mechanism is conventional, ithas not beenv illustrated in the drawing. The receptacle. may beprovided with a bafile, plate 11a to .-prevent.geyseringof "theliquid'flowing into the receptacle.

The receptacle 10 is supported on a plate 12 between which and a secondplate 13 is disposed a valve 15 which will be described shortly. Thelower plate 13 is mounted on supporting legs 16 by way of threadedconnections 17, and the legs in turn may be anchored to the floor orother support by means of bolts or screws 18.

The valve 15 arranged between the plates 12 and 13 is composed of avalve casing 19, which is stationary, and a movable valve body 20. Thevalve casing 19 has a central opening which is preferably of conicalshape, as shown, and the valve body is similarly of frusto-conicalshape, so as to insure a tight fit between the valve casing and body..Thecasing extends below the valve body to provide an excess space 21 toallow for relative movement between the body and casing, in the event ofunequal expansion of the parts. The valve casing and body, and likewisethe plates 12 and 13, are preferably made of metal. The valve body canbe packed with a grease or the like which is insoluble in the treatingliquids to insure a liquid-tight fit between itself and the casing.

The receptacle 10 is provided with a nipple 22 which passes through theplate 12 and into a central opening in the valve body 20. This nipplefits snugly into an opening 23 in the valve body, and is incommunication with a central bore 24 in the valve body which leads to aduct or passageway 25 opening on the outside conical face of .the valve1 body. Upon rotation of the valve body, the passagewayZS is broughtinto communication with an alternating series of bores 26 and 27 in thestationary casing 19 which communicate with fittings 26 and 27'respectively. The fittings 26' are adapted to receive tubes 44,preferably flexible in character, leading from a bank of supplycontainers 40 for the bodies of treating liquid arranged above the levelof the receptacle 10, while the fittings 27' are similarly adapted to beconnected by flexible tubes 45 to a bank of receiving or drainagecontainers 41 arranged below the level of receptacle 10. The containersare spaced approximately uniformly about the axis of the centralreceptacle 10.

It will be evident from the foregoing that upon stepwise rotation of thevalve body 20, the passage 25 will be brought into communication withthe successive bores 26 and 27, so as to receive a body of liquid from asupply container 40 and thereafter discharge such liquid into itsassociated drainage'container 41, after which the passageway 25 isbrought into communication with the next bore 26 connected with the nextsupply container, and this is repeated until the tissues in thereceptacle 10 have been subjected to the complete cycle of treatment. Toinsure complete drainage of the receptacle 10, the passageway 25 and thebores 27 are pitched downwardly, similarly to the downwardly pitchedbore 26 shown in Fig. 5, while the supply bores 26 may, if desired, bepitched .upwardly or they may extend horizontally or downwardly, thelastnarned condition being shown in Fig. 5.

The valr e body 20 is rotated in stepwise fashion and in a' constantdirection by' means of a shaft 28 which is'suitably fixed thereto and iscentered with the aid of a sleeve 29 depending from a plate 30 bearingagainst the plate 13. Splined to the shaft is a gear 31 which isoperated in stepwise fashion by means of a motor 42 and suitable clockmechanism 43, a spring-pressed detent or similar device 34' (Figs. 3 and5) being provided to insure succesdsigg registryof the passageway 25with the bores 26 an The gear 31 bears against a fixed collar 32 whichis a secured to shaft 28 by a set screw 33 or the like. A coil madeslightly larger than that of passageway 25 to allow 'fon relativeadjustment between'parts 19 and 20.

It will be seen from the above that I have provided an ssaisi extremelysimple'apparatus for effecting the treatment of is practicallycompletely obviated. It will also be apparent that'the supply containersin the above described apparatus neednot all be on the same level, as inthe known device, but may be on two or more levels above that of thereceptacle 10, and the same is true of the drainage containers, belowthe receptacle, provided, however, that -the bottoms of all of thesupply containers are above the level which the liquid reaches in thereceptacle 10, while the tops of all of the drainage containers are notsubstantially higher than the bottom of the receptacle. The capacity ofthe apparatus can thus be increased without increase of its area, or thesame capacity obtained with a smaller area, so that a more compactdevice is obtained.

In all of the forms of the invention above described, there may be andpreferably is provided an electric heat ing coil adjacent to one or bothof the passageway 25 and bore 27, in order to keep in fluid condition amaterial, such as paraifin, which has a melting point above roomtemperature. Such heating means is indicated diagrammatically at 35 inFig. 2. The parafiin or other higher melting point material is renderedfluid by suitable heating means in its container and, as is known, isemployed both to displace the chloroform employed in the precedingtreatment (which in turn was utilized to remove the previously employedalcohol) and to impregnate the tissues to produce a more or less rigidmass at room temperature which can be conveniently cut into thin films.The heating means 35 (Fig. 5) in the valve can be charged with currentin timed relation to the operation of the valve, that is, when the duct25 is brought into communication with that one of the tanks 40 shown inFigs. 2 and 3 which contains molten paraffin wax. Thus, as showndiagrammatically in Fig. 5, the leads 35a which supply current to theheater 35 are connected to a pair of spaced and insulated spring pressedcontacts 35b mounted in the rotary valve body 20 and adapted to engage apair of horizontally spaced and insulated contacts 35c positioned in aninsulating block 35d. The contacts 35c are connected by the conductors35a to a source of current. It will be apparent that as the valve body20 rotates in stepwise fashion under the control of the timingmechanism, the contacts 35b and 35c will engage each other for apredetermined interval during which the duct 25 receives liquid parafiinfrom the supply container. It will be evident that should it be desiredto begin heating of the duct 25 prior to its alignment with the conduitleading from the liquid paraffin container, various simple measures canbe provided to effect such result. Thus, the contacts 35c can bearranged one above the other, and likewise the contacts 35b; and thecontacts 350 can be elongated so as to close the circuit to the contacts35a before the duct 25 is in position to receive liquid parafiin.Similarly, should it be desired to insure that no parafiin congeals inthe duct 25 when the latter is moved out of registry with the parafiinsupply duct, the contacts 350 can be elongated in the oppositedirection, so as to supply current to the heater 35 during the dischargeof the parafiin from the receptacle 10. Alternatively a separate set ofcontacts 35c connected in parallel with those shown in Fig. 5A, can bearranged at the preceding station of the conduit 25, and if desired,also a second separate parallel set at the next station after that shownin Figs. 5 and 5A.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for charging and discharging a plurality of separatebodies of liquid in succession into and from a receptacle for thetreatment of material therein, the combination of a plurality of supplycontainers, conduits connected to the bottom of said containers, areceptacle normally disposed below the level of said supply containersto receive a body of liquidfrom saidcon tainers in succession bygravity, drainage means for draining the receptacle between successivedeliveries ofbo'dies of liquid thereto, valve mechanism provided withafduct leading to the bottom-of the receptacle, and means for" operatingsaid valve mechanism in timed relation to bring said duct successivelyinto communication with one of the conduits and with the drainage meansto-cause alternate charging and discharging of the receptacle with theliquid from the different containers in succession. a

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the supply containersare arranged in fixed position about the receptacle.

tacle, of a plurality of supply containers disposed at a higher levelthan said receptacle, a valve comprising a casing having a plurality ofseparate ports adapted to be connected to said plurality of supplycontainers, a rotatable valve body having a passageway communicatingwith the interior of the receptacle and adapted to be placed incommunication with each of the said ports in succession, drainage meansin said valve casing separate from said parts, and means for rotatingthe valve body in stepwise fashion to connect the receptacle with eachof the supply containers in succession and alternately with the drainagemeans at predetermined time intervals 4. The combination as defined inclaim 3, wherein said drainage means comprises a second set of ports insaid valve casing adapted to be connected to a plurality of receivers,said valve body being movable to establish periodic communicationbetween its passageway and said second set of ports in succession forconnecting the said receptacle with the respective receivers for theassociated supply containers to efiect draining of the receptacle priorto connection with the next supply container.

5. The combination as defined in claim 3, wherein the supply containersare arranged in fixed position about the receptacle.

6. In an apparatus for charging and discharging a plurality of separatebodies of liquid in succession into and from a receptacle for thetreatment of material therein, the combination of a first bank ofcontainers for treating liquids, a receptacle adapted to contain thematerial to be treated and to receive the said bodies of liquid insuccession from said containers and arranged below the level of the saidfirst bank of containers, a second bank of containers arranged below thelevel of the receptacle for receiving the respective bodies of liquidseparately and insuccession from said receptacle, a valve mechanismcomprising a casing having peripherally spaced supply and drainage portsadapted to be connected with the containers of both banks inalternation, a valve body in said casing and having a passage thereinconnected with the interior of the receptacle and arranged to beconnected with the supply and drainage ports in the valve casing andafter predetermined time intervals, and means for rotating the valvebody in stepwise manner to connect the receptacle with the supply anddrainage containers inalternation.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the supply containersare arranged in fixed position about the receptacle.

8. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the valve casing isprovided with a conical opening and wherein the valve body is offrusto-conical shape, the passageway in the valve body including acentral axial portion communicating with the interior of the receptacle.

9. The combination as defined in claim 6, including upper and lowerplates between which the valve casing and body are arranged, thereceptacle resting upon the upper plate and having a nipple passingthrough such plate and received in a bore in the valve body.

for charging and discharging a plu- 10. The combination as defined inclaim 6, wherein the valve casing is provided with a conical opening andwherein the valve body is of frusto-conical shape, the passageway in thevalve body including a central axial portion communicating with theinterior of the receptacle and meansfor resiliently urging the body ofthe valve in the direction of the apex of its conical surface.

11. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the valve casing isprovided with a conical opening and wherein the valve body is offrusto-conioal shape, the passage- 10 way in the valve body including acentral axial portion communicating with the interior of the receptacle,the sides of the valve body converging in the downward direction, saidrotating means for the valve body comprising a shaft secured to saidbody, a gear mounted on the shaft and a spring bearing on the gear andacting to exert. a downward pull on the valve body.

1-2. The combination as defined in claim 6, including heating meansdisposed in the valve casing and valve body and at least two of thebores of the valve casing for keepheating means in the valve bodyarranged adjacent to the passageway therein for keeping fluid a treatingmaterial whose melting point is above room temperature.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS963,470 DuPont July 5, 1910 1,185,532 Pfouts May 30, 1916 1,581,502Wright Apr. 20, 1926 1,619,817 Gibson Mar. 8, 1927 1,988,289 WittemanIan. 15, 1935 2,345,073 Rosett Mar. 28, 1944 2,422,022 Koertge June 10,1947 2,655,177 Ryon Oct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 837,426 Germany Apr;28, 1952

